If you’ve taken a dive into our wide array of natural Italian wines in the last six months, chances are you’ve tasted a wine either made by Danilo Marcucci, or one that bears his influence. We like to joke that, when it comes to wine from our friends at SelectioNaturel–who exclusively import natural Italian wines from small producers–each and every winemaker has been mentored by Danilo. The latest addition to their already impressive portfolio, Dinamo represents an intriguing collaboration between Danilo and father-and-son team Danilo & Simone Nofrini. Together, they set out to make natural wines the likes of which both Danilos remember drinking in their youths–unapologetically simple, low alcohol wines that the vineyard workers would enjoy morning, noon, and night.
HOW TO
The collaboration’s ‘Nucleo 1’ bottling represents a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and a little known local iteration of a well known international variety. Gamay del Trasimeno makes up half of this blend, which is the–confusingly-named–local version of Grenache. Some think the variety was brought over by the Spanish in the 17th Century and then promptly named after the unrelated grape of Beaujolais fame. Still, though Grenache at its best is often known to be a high-alcohol bruiser (looking at you Châteauneuf du Pape), in the right conditions it can be just as fruity and playful as good Beaujolais. This is that. Keep in mind that this is their best attempt to recreate the kind of vino da tavola that locals drank four or five decades ago. Simple, refreshing, and delicious. Definitely drink this with a chill–and some good salumi.
